WELCOME TO BHASO NDZENDZE’S RESEARCH LAB

My research work contributes to re-understanding Africa’s international relations and international relations theory with a specific focus on trade, FDI, and war (and their interaction) in situations which provide dichotomous choices through multiple theoretical lenses in typological fashion. This has been demonstrated in his examinations of ‘opportunity cost’ frameworks of African official decision-making in their dealings with China and Taiwan and in African countries’ decisions to either maintain the status quo of peace or go to war with each other in interstate disputes. At the root of this is an understanding of Africa’s nation-building and developmental pursuits (no matter how poorly realised) as survival imperatives which are at the core of their foreign policies.

Join the Lab: In addition to seasoned academics, I also work with several postgraduate students who are interested in the same areas through supervision and publishing opportunities. Contact me at bndzendze@uj.ac.za to explore how we can collaborate.

RESEARCH AREAS

[DEMOCRACY]

My work in this area is two-fold; I seek to understand the domestic audience cost considerations that African countries have had to consider in initiating wars against one another, and I seek to understand the ways in which the democratisation of the countries on the continent contributed to their decision to recognise China over Taiwan. In this regard, I have proposed two theories. With regards to war, my work has shown that the African countries gave demonstrable consideration to not only their domestic audience costs but also to their targetted rivals’ levels of legitimacy. This extends the literature considerably and demonstrates the regime-type consideration they give of their rival states’ legitimacy within their audience. Secondly, I have demonstrated a democratic effect for African countries with regards to their recognition of China over Taiwan. In brief, the presence or introduction of electoral competition forces African countries to choose the most economically viable alternative between the smaller and much larger China claimants.

[TECHNOLOGY]

Given the nature of ongoing changes in the technological sphere, my research has also sought to understand the impact of new military and industrial production technologies on international relations processes and how political scientists think about international relations in the wake of these.

[TRADE AND FDI]

In this area, I seek to understand the ways in which economic interdependency has developed and is playing out between Africa and various countries. I especially insert variables of interest to examine their impact – or lack thereof – on FDI and trade inflows over certain periods of time. I have utilised this to examine how African countries have had their military thinking unchecked by the absence of economic interdependence, how technological changes are likely to impact FDI flows, how demand for African energy is impacted by the attainment of self-sufficiency by the larger markets such as Brazil and the US.

[HEGEMONIC STABILITY THEORY]

My excursions into this area include analysis of the Peloponnesian War (431-404BC) in Thucydides, to the hypothetical presence and role of such an actor in East Africa in the 1970s to the 1990s, as well as to the complicated relationship between China and the US. In this regard, one of my methods involves examining the outbreak of conflicts (or lack thereof) between countries in a determined region at the dips or growths of the demarcated hegemon’s relative GDP and military budget.

TOOLS AND DATASETS

• China and Taiwan’s GDP growths, 2007-2018. This dataset summarises China and Taiwan’s GDP growths and/or declines over the 2007 to 2018 period as well as averages that data. (Excel format).
• World Economic Forum Competitiveness Index Scores: ROC vs PRC, 2006-2016  This dataset summarises China and Taiwan’s growths and/or declines in the World Economic Forum Competitiveness Index over the 2006-2016 decade as well as averages the movement in scores. (Excel format).

Blog

I maintain a blog at Global Politics Blog here.